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(No Model.) P. P. PERRY.'

HAT PACKING RING. No., 574,894. Patented Jan. 12, 1897.

5 fizz 6712567:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK P. FERRY, or DANBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF TO THEODORE CLARK & 00., OF SAME PLACE.

HAT-PACKING RING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 574,894, dated January 12, 1897. Application filed June 2, 1894. Serial No. 513,302. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK P. FERRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Danbury, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hat-Packin g Rings; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has reference to certain new and useful improvements in hat -packing rings, with the end in view that such rings sh all support the brims of the hats and snugly conform to the crowns thereof, and shall present at all points of Contact a perfectly smooth surface with no chafing edges, while at the same time the strips from which the rings are formed may be packed for shipment in a very small space.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective illustrating a strip of pasteboard constructed and formed in accordance with my improvement preparatory to being shaped into a ring; Fig. 2, a perspective of a ring formed from such strip, showing the curled edges of such ring on the outside thereof; Fig. 3, a detail section at the line 00 0c of Fig. 2; Fig. 4:, a perspective similar to Fig. 2, but showing the curled edges on the inside I of the strip; and Fig. 5, a detail section at the line y y of Fig. 4.

Similar numbers of reference denote like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

In carrying out my invention I take a piece of pasteboard 1 of any suitable width and length and curl over the opposite edges, as shown at 2 3, to form hollow heads 4 5, a surplus from such edges being left to form petticoats 6 7, which latter lie closely against .the body of the strip.

The object of the petticoat portions 6 7 is to give stability to the beads 4 5 and to prevent them from crawling back and also give them greater body and flexibility.

In forming the rings from a strip curled in the manner shown at Fig. 1 the strip is bent around in the arc of a circle and the extremities secured in any suitable manner. I pre fer, however, to secure these extremities by inserting the hollow beads on one end within the hollow beads on the other end of the strip, for the ring may thereby be readily contracted or expanded to conform to the size of the hatcrowns. The hollow beads at one end of the strip are readily inserted within the beads at the other end, since the latter beads yield readily to permit of this and exert a grasp firm enough to prevent any accidental slipping of an adjustment. Of course fastening devices, such as eyelets or rivets, may be employed to secure the ends of the strip together, if desired, and I therefore do not wish to be limited in this respect.

It is immaterial whether the strip 1 is bent around in the form of a ring with the petticoats 6 7 on the inside or on the outside of such ring, since in either event the prime object of my invention is attained, namely, a smooth unbroken surface for contact with the crowns of the hats.

It will be readily seen that the strip may be formed into the rings shown at either Figs. 2 or 4, and in either of these rings the top and bottom edges will present a smooth and unbroken surface in contact with the crowns of the hats as well as with the brims thereof.

The hollow bead affords great advantages in that it is not stiff and unyielding, but is flexible and resilient, while its shape is preserved by reason of the petticoats 6 7 ,which, as above set forth, snugly lie against the body of the strip.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. As a new article of manufacture a hatpacking ring, made from a single strip of pasteboard having hollow closed heads at its upper and lower edges and petticoats extending from the extremities of such edges after curling fiat against the body of the strip, substantially as set forth.

2. A hat-packing ring, made from a single strip of pasteboard havingits upper and lower edges curled into the form of hollow beads and then disposed flat against the body of the strip, the extremities of such strip being secured together in any suitable manner, substantially as set forth.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a pasteboard hat-packing ring having closed beads having its edges curled to form hollow closed beads and with the extreme edges of the stock beyond the beads disposed against the body of such strip, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK P. FERRY. \Vitncsses:

ALEX I. GORDON, JABEZ AMSBURY. 

